Seven Years Asleep
by Authorchick13
Summary: AU. Spoilers for Tenrou Arc and a couple for future characters near Tartorous Arc, though nothing major. For 7 years the gang is asleep on Tenrou Island, waiting to resurface. What do they dream about and how will it affect their lives when they wake? Multiple AU fics strung together. NaLu GrUvia GaLe ElfGreen for certain.
1. Chapter 1

AN: Think of this as multiple AU fics pulled together as one cohesive story line. It should become apparent by the end of this chapter what's happening to our characters, but if it's not then check the next AN for brief low down on the "rules" of this fic. Other than that, I love reviews and would greatly appreciate any feedback. Pairings will be NaLu, GaLe, Gruvia and ElfGreen for certain. Others are somewhat debatable. Also got some BROTP and Family bonding moments so whoopee! A warning and an explanation since some people are rather excitable about certain "pairings". Wendy and Mest is an EVENTUAL possibility. Their relationship will NOT start romantic. It's also set in an AU where he is younger and she is older-still an age gap but not nearly as extreme. Regardless nothing remotely romantic will happen until MAYBE when she is of age. This is something that I feel has great potential and my reasoning will be continued later when it won't ruin anything for you guys. If you're opposed to even the friendship that will eventually maybe become more for them then just skip those parts. Also keep in mind-everything is fictional. Other than that have fun.

Prologue: Mavis POV

December 16, X784

A blinding white light burned through the air as magic energy the likes I had not seen in years rushed towards the island. Fairy Tail stood strong and united on the beach waiting for their demise as a true family and my long since dead heart beat with love. They expelled magic energy outward, perhaps subconsciously by now and I took it all in. I took in every ounce of magic, feeling and determination and with force I had doubted myself capable of I stamped my foot on the island. Immediately the ground began to sink into the sea and I created a magic barrier around us to survive the swell of the ocean. We sank deeper and deeper as fast as I could push and then faster when Acnologia's magic hit the wall I'd produced until finally, we stopped.

My eyes which had closed in concentration before now opened to behold pure blackness. We had submerged so deep into the ocean that no light shone through. I felt a pull at the magic energy I was harnessing and realized that the guild had probably been sent flying, breaking the circle they had created. My magic energy and that of the island would be enough to sustain the barriers so it mattered not. I raised my hand and allowed some light to travel over the beach where they all lay now in groups unconscious.

Natsu the fire dragon had latched on firmly to his dearest companion Lucy, while in a similar position to their left lay Gray and Juvia. Both Erza and Gildarts had attempted to shield Cana, but instead they lay in a tangled heap. Gajeel had managed better than Natsu in grabbing both the girl he wished to protect, Levy, and his exceed partner Panther Lilly. Laxus and the 3rd lay beside one another still holding hands, tears still held at the edges of the 3rds closed eyes. Wendy had found herself cushioned by the two remaining exceeds Happy and Carla, while on the other side the largest group fell together. Both the Thunder God Tribe and the Strauss siblings had managed to hold on to one another, though their positions seemed uncomfortable. All was quiet.

It would be some time before there was sufficient energy to surface, and perhaps even longer before it was safe to return, therefore I decided to find myself a comfortable place to rest.

The world was dark and silent and I felt myself drifting into my meditative state.

. . . .

Chapter One

Mest was shaking uncontrollably. No matter how Lahaar tried to comfort him he was inconsolable. He was responsible. He could've easily gotten them out of there in time if he hadn't hesitated and now they were dead-_obliterated_. A vision of a young girl with deep blue hair smiling up at him haunted his mind. She was too young to have that happen to her. She had so much potential, so much life to live. Gone.

The army stood by contemplating what to do. They had just stood by whilst Grimoire Heart and Zeref had escaped and had watched helplessly as Fairy Tail was vaporized by Acnologia. How could they possibly report this back to the council? Lahaar sighed. Already at his young age he was feeling very old at the moment. So much he had seen. The rise of Nirvana, Jellal, the Oracion Seis and now this. With a heavy heart he gave the order everyone was waiting for. "Turn sails toward mainland."

He watched over his friend on their journey home. No matter what outward forces occurred Mest stayed catatonic. He could hardly blame him. He knew that this was the last mission Mest would ever go on.

. . . .

Wendy woke with a start to the sound of explosions. _So nearby?_ She thought as she raced out of bed her heart pounding louder than the drums that were sounding. She threw on her shoes and a coat, tossing aside her blanket which landed on the sleeping forms of her faithful companions Happy and Carla. Carla yawned and glanced at Wendy blearily.

"Where are you going child?" Wendy just looked at Carla with fear. "The explosions."

She turned and ran out of the little tent they had set up next to the infirmary. Outside it was still late in the night and the only light came from the fire raging on the mountains nearby and the flashes of magic as they ricocheted around the field. The battle was roaring. Why? They had called a ceasefire for the evening mere hours ago. She began running to her commander but had to duck and roll away from the blast of ice that had come hurdling toward her. She glanced up to see an apologetic Leon. Before either could speak he was attacked viciously by a shadow mage and Wendy winced at his screams of pain. She continued on towards Jellal her commander.

"Jellal! What's happening?" She shouted as she ducked from another blow. He turned in alarm at her voice.

"Wendy! Get back to the infirmary! It's too dangerous out here for you and we need you healing now!" She would've protested but the pure terror in his eyes convinced her to turn back and she found herself shutting the door to the infirmary just as a bomb exploded beside Jellal. Her heart sprinted as she pictured him lying dead, but through the small window she saw a shadow she knew to be his get up and return fire. Soon her attention was once again diverted.

She had not noticed before the loud chorus of screams and cries that resonated behind her. The infirmary was full. Soldiers lay nearly dead or dying all around the small room. She quickly pulled her hair up into a bun behind her and got to work. By this time Carla and Happy had joined her and together the trio set out to set and bind bones, stitch gashes and clean wounds.

It had been six hours and Wendy had not stopped once except to drink water. She was exhausted and covered in strange blood but she could not stop now. This bout of the war was particularly brutal. It seemed that the enemy was trying to kill as many as possible to weaken their mage population. Even now after saving her magic healing for only the gravely injured she could feel her hands trembling with exhaustion.

"Wendy! We have another one!" She turned to see Max and Warren carrying in a limp body. The soldier was obviously a mage as he looked too young to be fighting otherwise. The left side of his face was completely covered in blood and Wendy seriously doubted he would see from that eye again. Aside from the ghastly head wound he appeared to have several broken ribs if his breathing was anything to go by. He needed immediate attention for sure, but she couldn't leave her current patient in the middle of a stitching. "Carla! Finish this stitching." Her companion complied leaving her own patient to bandage himself. Wendy rushed to the injured man. Max and Warren helped her position him on a spare space of floor then took off to retrieve more fallen.

Wendy grabbed a clean towel and a bowl of water. She wished that her partner Juvia was still here, she was always handy with sanitation. Her heart clenched at the thought of Juvia's fate. There was no time however to reminisce for at that moment the young man began coughing violently his eyes opening. Wendy was alarmed by the clear blue of his eyes, though admittedly more alarmed at the blood spewing from his mouth. He needed her healing now.

"Shhh, lay back please don't move," She comforted him as she pushed him back to the floor. Her hands hovered over his chest and face.

"This will sting." She warned then pushed as much magic energy towards healing him as she could. His back bowed in pain and tears streamed but he remained silent. She avoided looking into his eyes, not wanting to see the pain and fear there. She had enough of that herself. Soon her magic began dwindling and she had to release. He relaxed back onto the ground his chest heaving. His ribs had been fixed obviously, and it would seem the internal bleeding too. His head wound however was still in bad shaped. It would definitely scar and it would scar bad. She sighed and finished patching him up sans magic before she finally met his eyes. He was looking at her in awe and gratitude-an expression she saw often. She smiled and moved to stand but his hand caught her arm.

"What's your name?" His voice was hoarse and hardly understandable but she heard him well with her advanced hearing. "Wendy." She replied, "You need to rest."

"Mest."

"Huh? I said rest," her eyes lifted to see another body being brought forth so she barely caught his next words before he fainted.

"My name. Mest."

Wendy smiled and rushed to her new patient. Mest.

. . . . .

Fairy Tail. Mest Gryder stood outside the doors of the lively guild, dreading what was to come. He would be the one to tell them. He sighed and pushed through the doors to find a large group of mages sitting round the bar as Laki served in the place of Mira. They turned to see who it was, half expecting it to be their comrades but their curiosity soon turned to suspicion at only seeing Mest. He had ended his mind altering which left them confused about his true purpose. He was dressed as a council member, yet he had neither their friends nor the council with him.

Macao approached him. "What're you doing here? Where are the others?" The guild was surprised when the man dropped to his knees before them.

"I'm sorry. It's my fault. I should've taken them to safety. I should've ignored the council's orders. I knew they were wrong." Everyone's hearts skipped a beat.

"What are you talking about?!"Macao demanded. Wacaba and Romeo came to hold Macao.

"They're dead."

Silence.

"That can't be right. There's no way all of our strongest mages could be dead." Bisca spoke up.

Tears fell from his eyes. "Grimoire Heart came," he sat there and told the story of all that had passed until finally he ended and the guild sat in silence. The only sounds were those of crying. Their nakama were gone and they didn't even have their bodies to bury.

When the time came for the funeral they merely erected a statue with their names on it. They didn't have much else to go with. Mest joined Fairy Tail and he participated in the first ever "vote" for the new Guild Master since the previous master had not appointed anyone. Macao was declared the victor and so began then new era of Fairy Tail. Their numbers severely depleted and by their most powerful they soon became less famous, less sought after. The Golden Era of Fairy Tail it would seem was over.

. . . . .

Makarov woke on Tenrou Beach. He glanced around for his children but found only Laxus still sleeping beside him and Mavis standing next to him.

"What happened?" He asked his voice scratchy from all his yelling during the battle. Mavis sat cross legged next to Laxus. She raised her hand and Laxus woke with a start.

"This is a dream." She explained to them, "When Acnologia attacked I gathered your magic energy and cast a protective spell on the Island. We are actually several miles below the surface. Everyone is asleep, kind of in a preservative coma. No one will age, no one will die and no one will wake until we have resurfaced." Laxus groaned and fell back onto the sand.

"Of course. The one time I come to help everyone out and I end up in fucking limbo." Makarov smacked the back of his grandson's head.

"No one asked you to help Laxus; in fact you were not even allowed to come here! You were banished from Fairy Tail and that includes Tenrou." Laxus averted his eyes. He knew that Makarov was right but he did not want to admit his wrong. Especially since he had only been coming to Tenrou as a sort of goodbye. Makarov and Laxus were both surprised when Mavis hit Makarov on the back of the head much like he'd done to Laxus.

"Ow! Why did you do that first?" She sighed.

"Without Laxus I would not have had the magic power needed. He was meant to be here. And don't give me that look. I know he messed up with the Fantasia Festival but don't you dare forget what Fairy Tail is about. Forgiveness." Makarov looked down ashamed and Laxus sat there contemplating her words. She stood and dusted off her dress.

"I'm leaving now. You two have a lot to talk about. I'll be back now and again, but for now prepare yourselves. It's going to take a long time before we can resurface." And with that Mavis was gone.

"Forgiveness huh?" Laxus muttered. "I wasn't expecting that much old man. But I'd be happy if we could even talk about all I've done. I've got some things I need to say." Makarov nodded.

"I don't know how I forgot how strong she was on forgiveness. But if she can forgive all that she has, I think I could forgive what you've done. We will talk about everything. Not just what you've done, but what I've done too."

Laxus looked up at his grandfather and noticed once more how old he seemed. Of course he was always old, ever since he was born, but these last years since Ivan had left had been especially hard on him.

"I'd like that." They would talk it over and hopefully one day all would be forgiven-not forgotten but forgiven.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Alright! So thoughts? Basically as it should be obvious by now, they gang is asleep and having dreams. The nature of the dreams should become more obvious with this chapter but basically whoever is touching on Tenrou after the blast are in an AU dream together. We already saw Wendy's which is a war ridden universe still with magic. She is about 15 and Mest is about 17/18. As mentioned before they will not be romantically involved for now so let's all chill Meanwhile, Laxus and Makarov are dreaming but are completely aware it is a dream. I'll be playing around with their consciousness more throughout the story and have some "dream hopping". Now in these next ones some characters know it's not real while others think it is. Should be fun eh? I'll also try to semi-regularly keep up with the guild. For now that's all so have fun with Ch. 2 and remember I'm still accepting ideas for AU fics involving Erza, Cana and Gildarts; the Thunder God Tribe and the Strauss siblings; and later AUs when Laxus and Makarov start dream hopping.

ALSO READ THIS BEFORE READING CHAPTER: In the GaLe dream there are two languages happening. The primary language of the world in the AU will be written in normal text. The "foreign" language will be written in a different text, at least when the distinction needs to be made-like if someone doesn't understand language 2.

Chapter Two

Juvia was extremely comfortable. Usually she was cold when she was asleep, but there was warmth pressed against her back and wrapping around her waist. Juvia knew it was a body pressed behind her, but her mind had yet to catch up to that realization. She shifted back and yawned, pulling the covers tighter around her and her partner. In the end it was not Juvia who woke them from their relaxing embrace. It was Grey.

"What the hell Juvia!" He shouted and scampered out of bed. Her eyes shot open and she turned to look at her accuser. Truly she had no knowledge of how they'd ended up in bed together-not that she minded. "Juvia doesn't know Grey-sama. Juvia did not do this." He was not listening however since when she had turned he noticed for the first time that she was naked. Completely naked. He glanced down at himself and noticed he had on at least a pair of underwear. He took a moment to note how unusual it was for him to not be the nude one before he jumped back to the problem at hand.

"Cover up Juvia!" He cried and turned around. He heard her squeak with embarrassment before tell-tale shuffling told him that she was rummaging around for some clothes. Soon she reappeared in front of him, now clad in a nightgown that while not that much better at covering her was at least clothing.

"Juvia is sorry Grey-sama. Juvia does not know what is going on." Usually he would be dubious about her claims as she more often than not was behind these odd situations, but then he noticed where they were and his mind halted. They were standing inside what appeared to be a modest sized home and by the looks of it, their home. Pictures hung on the wall of him and Juvia throughout the years, the largest and most troubling one being them at their wedding. She wore a white gown and large smile and he held her close. He walked closer to investigate the picture and almost instantly recoiled at the others who were in the picture alongside them.

There was a woman he did not recognize and beside were his…parents. "What the hell. My parents…" He muttered and reached out to touch the frame. Juvia came up behind him and gasped.

"That is Juvia's mother." His eyes again fixed to the strange woman and upon further examination he found that the woman did bear a resemblance to Juvia.

They shared a glance before Juvia asked, "What is going on Grey-sama?"

He shrugged. They jumped when they heard a shrill ringing from a communication lacrima from the other room. Juvia hurried through the house to find the lacrima with Grey following. Grey however became distracted when he happened across a closed door residing across the hall from their bedroom. It was an ordinary door except for one thing. It had a hand drawn name plate that read Ura. He heard Juvia answer the call in the other room as he pushed the door to the room open and he nearly had a heart attack at what he saw.

Meanwhile Juvia had answered the call without any forethought as to who it could be, or what she was wearing. This is why she found herself scrambling for a cover as she stared into the shocked, though amused faces of Grey's parents. "Juvia is very sorry!" She cried as she finally found a spare jacket lying nearby.

They laughed at her and the man cleared his throat as if to speak, the woman however shushed him. "Don't even try Silver, I know whatever you say will just be terrible. Anyway, we were calling Juvia dear because we were wondering what time you and Grey would be over to pick up Ura?" Juvia was of course very confused but not wanting to alarm them any further responded, "Um, Juvia will ask Grey-sama." Silver laughed heartily.

"Sama eh? Makes me wonder what you two were just-"

"ANYWAY," the woman interrupted with a roll of her eyes. "Yes please ask Grey when he's available. Should we call you back?" Juvia blushed and smiled.

"Yes in about ten minutes?" The couple agreed and then hung up the lacrima on their end. Juvia stood there confused for a few more moments before she turned to find Grey. She saw an open door and walked inside to find a shocked Grey holding a photo frame in his hand. She walked closer.

"Grey-sama, Juvia is unsure how to say this but um, well your parents just called," His head snapped up and he stared at her in disbelief, "And they asked when we would come by to pick up Ura?" Juvia did not expect his reaction to the name Ura, considering she had no idea who Ura was. Grey however paled and ran a hand through his hair. Juvia noticed the photo he held. In it were Grey and Juvia and between them a laughing young girl who had black curly hair and deep blue eyes. Juvia's heart pounded and Grey merely turned the photo over to show her her own writing stating that in the photo was Juvia, Grey and Ura aged 4.

"Our daughter." Grey answered her silent question.

. . . .

"Natsu wake up this instant!" Said boy jumped up from where he slept-a chair in the corner?-and turned to face whoever had woken him. He found an unfamiliar woman with salt and pepper hair tied up in a bun glaring at him with her hands on her hips.

"Just what were you doing napping on the job? We need you to finish prepping dinner!" Natsu raised a brow at her.

"What are you talking about lady? What dinner? And where am I?" The lady scoffed and threw her hands in the air.

"Great! Have you been drinking again? My god Natsu you're going to get us all fired."

"Fired? I'm on a job? Where are Lucy and Happy?" He again received an odd look.

"Well I don't know who Happy is but _Lady _Lucy is upstairs. Probably wondering where her dinner is." With that the woman exited the room and left a very confused Natsu staring after her. He glanced around and found that ingredients for a large meal lay around him. The cookbook was open to a recipe that he instantly recognized as one that Lucy had made him several times. Shrugging he decided that he'd make the dinner. This was obviously some sort of dream and he might as well see where it leads.

As he made the meal his mind continued to go over his conversation with the woman. She had asked who Happy was, so he must not be here or maybe he was called something different. The woman had also called Lucy Lady Lucy…the hell was that all about?

In the end he finished making the food and after conversing with the woman he discovered that he was supposed to bring the meal to the dining room for the family. He was wholly unprepared for what he found there. He immediately saw a man he recognized as Lucy's father Jude sitting at the head of the table. Beside him was Lucy, dressed in extremely bizarre clothes for her considering they covered nearly everything. What really confused Natsu though was the woman sitting across from Lucy. They looked nearly identical, though one was obviously older than the other. He saw the woman holding Jude's hand and his stomach dropped when he realized that they smelled nearly the same as well. That must be Lucy's mother. Jude gave a confused look to Natsu who was not laying out their dinner as was his job. He cleared his throat and Natsu glanced at him briefly before looking to Lucy only to see she was staring at him much the same as her father.

"What's going on Luce?" He asked. Something dark passed over their faces and Lucy looked away. Jude huffed. "Excuse me young man but we do not employ you to treat our daughter in such a common way. We employ you to serve us food, now I suggest that you do your job and then leave.

"Employ me?" Natsu asked shocked. What the hell was happening here?! Lucy's mother laughed lightly.

"Jude dear he probably heard about Lucy's misfortune and was trying to make her laugh. Let's just eat our dinner." Jude grumbled but sat back and waited for Natsu to serve them, which he finally did when he realized that was what he had to do. He spent an extra moment setting Lucy's plate down, trying to make eye contact with her but she refused to meet his glance and before he knew it he was being dismissed from the room.

"What the fuck?" He muttered on his way back to the kitchen. Whatever was happening wasn't right he decided. Maybe it was a spell set by a mage. No matter what it was he would break the illusion. He had to. To get his Lucy back.

. . . . .

Levy McGarden loved her cat Pantherlilly very much but she absolutely hated the way he yowled so loudly in the mornings. It was always around the time that her very antisocial, very mean looking neighbor would leave for work and she was getting fed up with his curious looks. Yes she knew that it sounded like she was torturing her cat but she couldn't explain that she was really a kind cat owner because he always left without giving her a chance.

On occasion she had heard him talking to someone on the phone and she noticed he did not speak English, though she was having a hard time understanding just what language he spoke. She knew it was either Dutch or German, but she didn't know for certain one way or the other. She spoke Dutch quite fluently as she'd spent four years there for school, but she didn't know German very well at all. Of the two she knew German was technically easier to learn, but that didn't change the fact that she knew Dutch to begin with and the two languages were remarkably different for sounding so similar. So she waited for the right time to tell him she could speak his language-maybe.

So she continued to go to work as a translator and at work she thought up ways to introduce herself. After all her thought on the matter it turned out that Gajeel-as she discovered was his name-introduced himself one morning when her car wasn't working and he helped her fix it. He spoke in broken English stating he was a mechanic. She thanked him and before she could say something in Dutch to test out her theory he had turned and left.

For weeks they would glance at each other in the hall or wave in passing but still she didn't feel it was quite time. Her friends Jet and Droy told her she was being silly and to just say hi. What was the big deal anyway? In the end she never told him at all because Levy began to overhear conversations he was having-about her.

It started one night when she went to knock on his door. She'd made him cookies and was finally going to say something when he'd answered the door without a shirt on. She blushed and prayed to god she hadn't walked in on anything but to her relief a man in a mechanic uniform glanced at her from the living room and waved with his beer. A second and a third man all wearing some sort of garage garb greeted her much the same and she realized he was simply hanging out with his friends.

"Uh, hi." She muttered. He looked momentarily distressed before his face brightened and he called out, "Loke!" One of the men with orange hair meandered to the door and greeted Levy, "Hey." Gajeel turned to Loke and said in Dutch, "**That's the girl with the crazy cat. She speaks English can you translate for me?**" Levy blushed and was about to correct him when Loke responded, "**Ah the one you think is hot?**" He looked over at her and smiled.

"My name's Loke. I'm a friend of Gajeel's. He doesn't speak English very well so he asked me to translate for him." She should have told him that she could understand everything. She should have set the record straight but all she could think about was that Gajeel thought she was hot. So instead of doing the right thing she smiled and handed Gajeel the plate of cookies.

"I'm Levy. I live next door and I wanted to thank Gajeel for fixing my car a while back. I'm kind of shy-don't tell him that-so it took a while for me to come over here. I'm glad we have you to translate," She laughed and listened greedily as Loke related the information to him.

"**She says thanks for fixing her car. Also she says she is shy, I think she has the hots for you man.**" Loke elbowed him in the ribs and Gajeel rolled his eyes. He turned to Levy and smiled.

"Thanks," He said with a heavy accent. "You want come in?" He asked, seemingly embarrassed by his English but Levy just smiled and nodded.

"Ok, sure. Thank you." She looked to Loke as if asking how to say thank you in Dutch though she knew already and he eagerly supplied her, "**Dankjewel.**"

She smiled and looked Gajeel in the eyes as she repeated Loke, purposefully worsening her accent a bit. Gajeel grinned widely and shut the door after her.

Levy knew she should tell them, but….she was kind of excited to hear just what they thought they could get away with in her presence. She was nosy like that.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: So it all makes sense now? In this chapter you'll see the final 2 AUs and with that all the "set up" will be done. Now, I'm notorious for not completing my stories and as always I will promise to TRY and not abandon this. However I'd like to let you all know I started this because they idea wouldn't leave my head and while I have one idea that requires me to actually finish the story the rest of it really just needed to be plotted out to appease my brain. So there is a chance this will not be finished. That sucks I know. So I'm giving anyone and everyone the permission to write your own version, extension etc. of this story. I want to read them all because after all I'm mostly a reader of fanfiction not a writer. So, if you do write one put something about based off authorchick13 or whatever and I will read every single one and I will be ultra-happy. With that, enjoy what I have actually written!

Chapter 3

"Why did you do it Laxus?" The man sighed. He knew that would be the first question the geezer asked. He still didn't really have a good answer for it; there probably wasn't a good enough answer for why you tried to destroy your own nakama.

"I was blinded. All I saw was my own guild, one of the few things I actually had to be proud of being mocked for being weak. I was weak, that was why Ivan had the lacrima implanted. My dad was a disgrace and everyone knew that and so all I had was my reputation and the guild. I figured if I was in charge no one would question our strength. I didn't realize the true strength was knowing that your nakama was good enough and not needing anyone else's validation. I get it now." Makarov nodded.

"That's very wise of you boy. You've grown up in your travels. Where did you go?" Again, Laxus knew the question was coming but he dreaded this one more than the other by far.

When he responded it was hardly more than a whisper, "To see my dad." Makarov's eyes widened and he shouted, "What were you thinking?!"

"I know Gramps it was the wrong choice but…you kicked me out. Like him. In my mind I was no better than him and why should I be? He's my dad, the man I take after so I went to find him."

"And did you?" Makarov's anger was pulsating. He wasn't mad necessarily at Laxus but his deep set anger with Ivan was clouding his judgment. He couldn't help but overreact when that man was involved. Not after what he did to…

"No." The old man sighed with relief. Laxus continued, "I went after him but when I started to run into people who'd seen him, who told me where to find him I realized I didn't want to be near that man. He has a guild you know. An Anti-Fairy Tail guild. I didn't want to become that kind of person who had this ridiculous grudge. So I traveled instead. Took up some freelance work and made my way around Fiore. I was ending my tour here at Tenrou as a kind of final goodbye when I found things not quite how they should be and you know the rest."

Makarov sat there quietly contemplating all that Laxus had said. It all made sense and it all sounded very good but he had one last question before he could feel completely at ease with his grandson once again. "Why should I let you rejoin Fairy Tail?"

Laxus stiffened but he soon relaxed and turned pensive. "My first instinct is to tell you that you shouldn't let me back in, but…after what Mavis said I'm started to see that the pity me attitude won't work. I want to be a part of Fairy Tail again because in Fairy Tail everyone matters. We are nakama and we are always there for each other. I know some may not want me back there with them but maybe I can be a good lesson about forgiveness. I definitely don't deserve their forgiveness but I'd really like it. As for what I could give to the guild to make it better, I guess experience with what life without the guild is like. Now I know and now I'll take care of my own much better than before. I'd like to become something in their eyes, not just your grandson, though I'm very proud to be that too. I want to earn their respect on my own though."

He glanced up at his grandfather expecting his usual stoic expression and wise phrase about life but instead he found the old man's eyes filled with tears. "Gramps?" Laxus asked. Makarov merely shook his head and replied, "That's exactly what I needed to hear my boy. Welcome back to Fairy Tail." He stood and gave Laxus a hug. The Lightening mage smiled and replied, "It's good to be home." The two sat together and caught up for a while before finally Mavis showed up once again. She smiled widely at the pair.

"So finally made up eh guys?" They laughed. "Yeah, I'm glad you brought up the whole forgiveness thing Mavis. Actually I'm glad you created the guild that way." Laxus replied. He'd never really talked to her before considering she had just come out of hiding but he felt familiar with her already. She was Fairy Tail. She smiled.

"Well in my day guilds weren't like Fairy Tail. There was no family involved it was merely a convenient place to get jobs and allies for the inevitable wars. It was hard to grow up in that, so I decided to create something better. To do that I had to forgive someone who was very unkind to me and after I did she became a great friend of mine." Mavis's eyes shone brightly as she recalled her youth and those she had loved and lost.

Laxus looked at her in curiosity. "Mavis why is it that you decided to stay in this form forever? I know it's kind of a random question but it is odd to think about the first master as a kid." She smiled softly.

"Because I was just a kid Laxus. I never made it to be any older." Laxus stilled and Makarov looked on with interest. He'd heard of course that she'd died young, but he knew nothing about the circumstances. She sighed. "Another part of why I value forgiveness so much is because…well I had to forgive the man who killed me." She stood and walked towards the edge of the beach. It was bright in the dream, warmth raining down from the sun but Mavis looked past the dream and saw the deep black abyss they were currently submerged in.

"The man who killed me is the same man who tried to kill all of you. Zeref."

. . . .

The air was hot and thick with moisture. Erza fanned herself once more as she and her comrades made their way through the jungle. They had been searching for over an hour and still nothing. The sun was thankfully beginning to set which cooled it down a bit, but it also brought out the mosquitos.

"I propose we find a place to camp tonight." She called back to the father/daughter duo. Cana groaned, "Tell me about it, it's hot as hell out here." Gildarts merely laughed at his two female companions. He was used to Cana's complaining. He heard it all the time at home and she had been one whiny teenager, but to hear Titania join in was odd for him.

Erza glared at Gildarts. While Gildarts was older than her most definitely, they were on the same par magically. He had had huge promise when he was younger but when Cana had shown up 13 years ago and told him she was his daughter he had taken a break from the s class missions so he could raise her properly. He'd missed out on some huge experience but he never once regretted his decision.

Together the three found a small cave that turned out to be quite cozy after to remodeling by Gildarts and Erza. Cana put up a blocking card which kept small creature and insects out of the cave and they pitched their tents and made their evening fire. Erza was always in charge of making dinner as Cana always tried to add more alcohol than needed to the recipes and Gildarts was a terrible cook. Erza often wondered how Cana was still alive after eating his cooking for so many years, though that might explain her desire to add liquor to the mix.

They sat around the fire eating and discussing the mission for a couple hours, deciding the next day would once again be spent tracking down the horrible beast they were sent to slay. The whole evening Erza felt something strange settling in her stomach, a sense of apprehension. Something seemed very off about the whole seen but for the life of her she couldn't figure out what. Everything seemed the same. She and Cana often paired up together since she'd become S Class three years ago with the training of her father and they had a routine going strong. They talked about all the usual things and everyone behaved as they always had, and yet Erza could tell something was…wrong. She decided not to think about it too much, after all they were on an S class mission and she needed to stay on her toes.

That night as she drifted off to sleep Erza dreamt of the man who always pervaded in her thoughts. Jellal. She hadn't seen him the Nirvana incident and she hadn't told a soul about her still lingering feelings for him. He was a criminal with a long list of terrible inhumane crimes and yet she knew inside it wasn't his fault. She couldn't help but remember how kind he'd been as a child and how terrified he must've been when Zeref took over. She'd failed him just as much as she'd failed Simon and Milliana and Shou.

Her dreams were scattered and chaotic all through the night. Her companions slept soundly, no worries in their heads. No matter what happened they had each other and they always had.

The next morning Erza woke from her last terrifying dream with a yawn. She had become quite accustomed to the unsettling nature of her dreams. Cana of course knew some of what was going on, she was a fortune mage after all but she didn't want to force Erza to confide in her. If she wasn't ready then she would let her be. Though Cana couldn't imagine keeping such a large secret for so long. It would eat at you from the inside.

No, Cana was lucky.

. . . . .

"Bix we gotta mmmmm go." Lisanna murmured against his lips. He smiled and pressed her against the wall. "I don't wanna Lis," He replied and he deepened the kiss. She groaned in frustration and kissed him backed fiercely her arms circling his neck. They had to be to their respective homes in no less than ten minutes if they wanted to avoid suspicion. Lisanna, ever the responsible one pulled away and firmly planted her hands on his chest.

"Bixlow, we can't be late. They'll find out and we both know how that would go." He shuddered as he pictured Demon Mira Jane, and even worse his own terrifying sister Evergreen. He sighed and pulled away from her and linked their hands. "All right Lis, let's go." She smiled and they began their walk home, keeping an eye out for anyone who might not know about their little arrangement. When they came to their street they dropped hands and waved goodbye to one another, each longing to kiss the other but both knowing that it was impossible here. Not where they could see.

Lisanna walked into the house with exactly 2 minutes to spare before her "curfew". Mira was in the kitchen making dinner for the three of them and Elfman was still at work it would seem. Lisanna dropped her books by the door and went to join Mira in the kitchen. Mira smiled warmly at her and embraced her one sidedly as she stirred the pasta.

"How was school Lisanna?" The younger girl smiled and pulled on an apron. "Good. We had a test in History today but I aced it." Mira dropped her spoon and turned excitedly.

"That's amazing Lisanna! I'm so proud of you! You're really working on it huh?" Lisanna returned the enthusiasm. After all, History was her worst subject and it had been only recently that her grades had turned completely around-all thanks to her marvelous tutor.

"Yeah, Bixlow is a very good teacher, even if he comes from a crazy family," Lisanna laughed lightly knowing the joke would detract from Mira's ever present distaste for the tutoring situation. She smirked.

"As long as you remember that they're all crazy you'll be fine." She scrunched her brows together, undoubtedly thinking of her long time enemy Evergreen. They two hadn't gotten along since high school and the feelings stuck. Especially after the incident.

At that moment Elfman walked into the house with a tired smile. He worked two jobs to help them afford this little apartment. After their parents died they were left to fend for themselves and instead of allowing Lisanna or Elfman to go into foster care Mira had adopted them. Mira was 25, only two years older than Elfman but a full 9 years older than Lisanna who was most definitely the baby of the family.

Elfman was followed by his longtime best friend Fried who bowed courteously to the ladies in the kitchen. "Oh hey Fried!" Mira called somewhat flirtatiously. It had been a long standing joke that Fried and Mira would end up together if Fried ever overcame his shyness. In the meantime however Mira enjoyed teasing him mercilessly about it. He, predictably, blushed and offered a wave back. He was three years younger than Mira but he was already very well known in his job. He was a talented mage that specialized in Rune Magic, a mostly intellect based skill. Despite all his knowledge he really was a dud with women.

In High School he'd had a crush on Evergreen and so Mira and Elfman had tried to help him get up the courage to ask her to prom. When he finally did and she had publically humiliated him in return, Mira went a bit overboard in her retaliating. The rest of the school year had been spent pranking one another and trying to win a silly war they had conjured up. When Lisanna had started high school and met Bixlow she had been wary since she had heard about his family and their antics. However Bixlow proved to be very different than Evergreen. While Ever was the extreme in confidence where she grew mean to others, Bixlow was confident to the extreme of making friends with anyone.

Sometimes he said things that annoyed Lisanna, but his heart was really good and he never meant any malice like his sister. Mira however, would not hear of it. When Lisanna had first mentioned it to her a year ago Mira had been obstinate that Ever had started out nice too. So Lisanna and Bixlow kept their relationship a secret from their families to avoid the impending drama.

When dinner was ready Lisanna helped Mira set the table and they sat down like they did every Wednesday night as a family-including Fried. Wednesday nights were the nights everyone was home for dinner at the same time and they cherished these brief moments of peace in their hectic schedules. Mira worked as a waitress at the popular guild in town called Fairy Tail. Elfman was a freelance mage and pet caretaker on the side. Fried mostly did mission work for Fairy Tail but occasionally he would volunteer at the local school or library. Lisanna was a Junior in High School and she worked Saturdays as a waitress with Mira to earn some extra spending money.

They all worked and they were all tired most of the time but they loved each other enough that it was all worth it. Lisanna only hoped that when they found out the truth about her and Bixlow they could remember how much they loved each other, regardless of their personal affairs.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: AND WE'RE IN BUSINESS. Ok so I have up to chapter 9 planned out. I'm going to write and write until I can't anymore to hopefully finish this before inspiration leaves me. Don't forget to Review if you have an idea you want thrown in here before the end. Time's running out! Mavis's backstory is ½ Fairy Tail Zero ½ Fan theory so…yes

Chapter 4

"When I was young I lived on this very Island. I was basically an indentured servant for the main guild here. Back then there weren't many rules about guild relations and so wars between guilds were frequent and devastating. It was just a regular day until a rival guild attacked. I grabbed the guild master's daughter and together we ran together into the forest and we survived the attack. The Island became deserted for a while until a group showed up on the island searching for something. Among them was Yuri Dreyar your ancestor. The three of us among others began preparations for a more perfect system.

"We envisioned a guild that had morals, was family, took care of evil and was all around good. It was around this time that I was exploring the island when I met him. At first I was afraid of him. Zeref was a frightening man, especially then. He seemed afraid of me when we met, and I was confused by that. We began talking and I realized he had a curse placed on him. The more he cared for life the more he killed. He was unintentionally murdering the animals and the trees and he was afraid for me to be near him since he knew one day he could kill me.

"But I stayed. I gave him projections to bring him joy and he eventually grew to have some modicum of control of the curse. Until they came. More people came to Tenrou in search of something precious and undiscovered and instead they found the beginnings of a guild. They fought us and we tried to resist peacefully but to no avail. Zeref came to our defense and though he was only trying to attack the other side he caught me in the blast as well. I died that day. My spirit stayed with the island and I continued to watch over all who I cared for. Somehow only those who bore the guild mark could see me. Zeref was so distraught with what he'd done he had removed his own guild mark from him which left me invisible to him.

"Throughout the years on this island alone we found a way to communicate. He cannot see nor hear me, but he knows when I am near and he knows how I feel. For a while it was just us and we communicated frequently as best we could. And then Grimoire Heart showed up and tried to take him. He was at his most vulnerable then. He was still so moved by my death that the curse was worse than ever, however Grimoire reminded him why he hated some humans. His disregard for their lives ended his curse but brought forth something far worse. His dark soul. They wanted to awaken Zeref and they succeeded, just not how they had hoped. He called Acnologia to destroy the place that had so ruined him and here we are."

Mavis remained staring into the sea her eyes darting around as if seeing a scene play out through her mind. Laxus and Makarov were silent taking it all in. A lot of things were explained by the story, but still more question arose begging to be answered. For the moment they chose to hold off on their questioning as they knew Mavis was not in the mood for it now. Laxus, being younger and knowing how to distract women more easily decided to change the subject.

"So how do you think we turned out as a guild? You proud of it?" Mavis smiled to herself.

"Yes, very. I had never dreamed that it could be this successful. Fairy Tail is truly an inspiration to the world and I am proud to have been a part of it, if only for a moment. I'm also grateful for this body I can conjure forth. It allows me to watch over my guild for as long as it shall go on."

"How long do you think this 'dream' will go on?" Makarov asked. He was still unsure of the logistics of their situation. He understood that they were suspended in time but how did that time compare to their dream time. Mavis shrugged.

"It will be some time still. I don't have the energy to raise the island, and besides it's not safe yet. I want to give it a while so that I know for certain Zeref is not waiting." They nodded in agreement. They were silent again until another thought flit across Laxus's mind.

"Hey Mavis you said the others are dreaming too right?" She nodded. "And we dream because of who we are connected to physically?" She paused then answered, "It would seem that way yes." He thought for a moment.

"Could we go into the other's dreams do you think?" They all stopped and thought.

"I think so. I'd have to move your bodies but that's easily enough done. The real question is whose dream?" Makarov spoke this time, "I'd like to check on Cana. She just told Gildarts that he's her father and I'm worried what dreams she could've come up with." Mavis nodded.

"She's connected to Gildarts and Erza so it'll be easy for you to check in on all of them. What about you Laxus?" He stood and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Probably the Thunder God Tribe-assuming that their together. I've got some things to talk with them about." Mavis smiled and clapped her hands.

"Perfect! I'll go move your bodies now! I'm excited to see what happens." With that she pranced off and the two Dreyars were left alone. Moments later they exclaimed as they felt the earth shake beneath them and then all was black.

. . . . .

The air by the sea tasted better than any other in the world to Wendy Marvell. Their platoon had just relocated near the beach from the mountainous region. After their great defeat there they decided they would move to a more tactically appealing local. There was an easy escape route and plenty of fish to feed the troops. Wendy had regained her magic and had fully healed all who she could and had tearfully buried who she could not. As she predicted Mest could no longer see out of his left eye and so was taken off the fighting lines. His magic, teleportation, proved useful for Wendy as he could bring her the wounded patients faster and without moving them too much. In their new local they had found several locals who knew healing magic or medical training and so they had more healers ready to serve.

All around Wendy was very glad for the change. She had been overworked and overwhelmed alone in the mountains. Carla and Happy were glad to be near a fishing spot and they were secretly happy that Wendy now had a friend in Mest. She had been so secluded before, so separated from everyone but Jellal who hardly had time for anyone anyways.

In their time of "peace" Wendy spent her days teaching the other healers and Mest the basics of warfare medicine. She taught them the emergency diagnosis, how to properly sanitize if there was time and what to do if there wasn't and how to close a wound and bind a bone. About once a week a solider would injure himself while performing a duty and Wendy would use him as a training dummy. It was one of those days and she was in the middle of teaching how to keep a concussed patient awake when Mest asked her, "Where did you learn all this from?"

Her face paled and she nervously replied, "I've just always known." She continued with her lesson and then righted the patient before sending everyone off to enjoy their day. Predictably Mest followed her when she ventured off to the beach.

They had become fast friends but neither had ever spoken about anything more personal than simple likes and dislikes. Still it had been hard for either of them to open up to one another at all and Wendy knew that Mest wanted to know more about her past. In truth she wanted to know more about his but she wasn't sure if she was ready to bring it all up again.

However her reluctance faded away when they sat near one another and he casually draped his arm around her shoulder. It wasn't a romantic gesture for which she was glad; she was definitely in no place to think about love when they were in this war, but rather a comforting one. He could sense that she needed someone to hold her though perhaps he didn't realize it was because she would never feel her own mother holding her ever again. Happy and Carla settled on both of their laps and silence held for a few moments.

Finally Wendy broke the tension, "I learned how to heal people from my mother. She was a famous healer in our province. She knew how to heal the body but even more amazing she knew how to heal the soul."

"She sounds amazing." Mest answered squeezing her shoulder. She smiled.

"She was." Carla burrowed deeper towards Wendy's stomach. She knew what happened next. Happy had joined their group shortly thereafter but Carla had been there from the start.

"It was when the war first began. Our Province wasn't involved at first; it was so far away you know? But then it got closer and closer and suddenly fathers and brothers were leaving and … And then one night they attacked our village. I'd never thought that it would become so real for me. The war was always kind of a story, something I knew would go down in history but I thought it would end way sooner. I still remember," She paused and tilted her head back to stop the tears that threatened, "The smoke."

"They had set fire to our fields hoping to drive us out. When that didn't work they set fire to our homes. My mother took me and a few of the village children to a barn on the edge of town and said that we should stay there and that she'd be back with as many others as she could. Some of the kids were hurt so I went about healing them the best I could, my magic was pretty weak then. By the time she came back my magic was almost all gone and I knew I could only help the lightly injured then. So she kept leaving and bringing back more and more survivors until…"

She paused her story. Mest rubbed her shoulder comfortingly hoping to ease the pain of the memories. "The last time she wasn't the one who opened the door. It was another villager and he had my mother in his arms and she was…hurt. Very badly hurt and no one else knew healing magic besides her and I and I tried. I trie-"her voice cracked and the tears spilled slow and hot down her cheeks. Mest pulled her against his chest and rubbed her back as she cried out her pain.

"I couldn't do it Mest." She whispered. "I didn't have enough energy and she died in my…after that we left and they told me I could go with the other children but I wanted to help as much as I could. If I couldn't save her I would save everyone else right?" She laughed bitterly through her tears and he stayed silent as he held her through the worst.

As if knowing it was the worst possible timing the alarm went off signaling an attack. Her heart skipped in her chest and panic overcame her for the first time in years. She felt raw and exposed and unprepared for what she knew she was about to see and Mest could tell she was freezing. So he grabbed her arm and hoisted her up and led her to the infirmary. Nurses were bustling about getting ready for the future onslaught. Mest simply pulled Wendy into a hug and whispered calmly, "You are amazing. You saved my life. You've saved countless others and you're going to save a whole bunch more now." Her heart calmed and she felt the familiar lose strung adrenaline coursing. She sighed and squeezed him one last time before pulling away.

His bright blue eyes looked down at her with pure confidence and awe and in that moment Wendy knew it was going to be ok. Not great, but ok.

"Thank you Mest." He grinned and patted her head. Someone yelled for him to go retrieve and with a final wave he departed Wendy. Despite how hard it was for her to remember, she was glad she had finally found someone who she could tell who built her up instead of propped her up. Finally she'd met someone who didn't try to convey condolences that meant nothing, she'd found someone who'd understood and had helped her get back on path as quickly and as painlessly as possible. She had finally found someone worth caring about.

. . . . .

"Dad what's wrong?" Romeo stood in the doorway of the apartment he and his father lived in. They were both dressed in their finest attire and had only minutes before they were supposed to be at the wedding but Macao was not moving and he was not talking.

"Come here Romeo." Romeo did not like the tone of voice he was hearing. That was the way his voice had sounded when he told him that he and his mother were getting divorced. That was the voice that told him Natsu-nee was dead. This was the bad voice. He sat beside his father on the low bench and waited.

"The guild is running out of money," He whispered. Romeo's eyes widened. After all they'd been through all that they'd had left was the guild! "What are we going to do dad?" He asked tears beginning to sting. They couldn't lose the guild now. Not after they'd lost everything else. Macao shrugged.

"I haven't told anyone else. I don't want to ruin the wedding. I think when they return from their honeymoon I'll have to announce it. I don't know anywhere else the guild can move to." Romeo felt anger well inside him. It wasn't fair. He simply nodded to his father and moved off the bench. They were going to be late to the wedding if they didn't hurry.

The guild gathered outside of the cute rustic barn that Al and Bisca had chosen for their ceremony. It was a ways out of town but it was perfect with the field surrounded by the forest and the old wooden building. It was perfect for Al and Bisca especially since neither had to pay for it. Bisca's family owned this plot of land and after the wedding it would be passed down to her and Al for their family.

Macao appraised the area with a keen eye, an idea forming in his mind even as they rose to watch Bisca march down the "aisle". The whole guild was there, save for one member who was currently at the council seeking help.

Mest Gryder still did not consider himself a full member of Fairy Tail even after a year. He still saw the tragedy at Tenrou as his fault and therefore stayed with Fairy Tail purely out of desire to help them. What little money he didn't need for rent or food was given to the guild as a monthly payment and whatever needed fixing around the building was taken care of by him.

So despite his best feelings towards Al and Bisca he did not feel he deserved to attend their most special of days. So instead he set out to visit his old friend Lahaar in hopes of acquiring some new information on Zeref.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

It had been five days since the dinner incident. Every evening when Natsu would bring in the dinner there was an obvious strained atmosphere. He desperately wanted Lucy to just look at him but after the first night Jude had come to him personally and said if he ever tried that again he would fire him. Normally all that would do to Natsu would be to fire him up, but he was so unsure about the nature of this dream and he had no one else he could ask for help. So he sucked it up and decided to play along with this little scenario.

Now as he sat watched Lucy wander through the grounds he was glad his efforts were finally paying off. It just so happened that they needed to pick vegetables from the garden and the garden was very near the flower garden where Lucy enjoyed reading. She settled beside the pond that connected the two gardens and he went to the apple trees in search of the perfect apples for their dessert tonight. She noticed him immediately and stuck her nose in her book in order to avoid his gaze. Natsu sighed and went about grooming the garden. Without thinking about it he started humming the fairy tail anthem and nearly jumped from his boots when he heard her voice right behind him asking, "What is that song?"

He turned in exasperation. Never before had Lucy been able to sneak up on him, but in this dream there was no magic and so he had to deal with a normal sense of smell and hearing. "Jesus lady ya scared the crap outta me." He grumbled before turned to grab the shovel. She blushed and cleared her throat.

"I apologize. I just heard you humming something and it sounded so pretty I thought I'd…"She trailed off and then offered a fake smile. "I'll just go." She turned to leave and Natsu cursed himself. "Wait!" He called after her. She paused and looked back at him. He hesitated. He needed this to not look like they were talking or Jude would get pissed. Suddenly an idea came into his head.

"Do you like fairy tales?" She started at his question then haltingly nodded. "I believe so. I haven't heard many." He grinned.

"All right, well look I'll tell ya all about the song on one condition k?" She hesitated but then nodded.

"You gotta sit over there and pretend to read your book and I'll keep working in garden and tell ya the story. That way I don't get fired and you get to hear the story." His smile was infectious and she found herself grinning. "Did my father really threaten to fire you?" Her voice was joking but he could see the concern in her eyes. He laughed and rubbed his hair.

"Yeah, but I wanna tell ya the story so let's just do what we agreed and no one has to know." She giggled but turned and went to sit by the pond once more opening her book and then she tilted her head expectantly.

_This had to get her to wake up, _he thought. "Once upon a time, because that's when important things happened there was a dragon named Salamander and a Princess named Lu. The princess didn't want to be a princess and so she ran away from home and disguised herself as a commoner. Salamander was looking for his dad Igneel who had left when he was young and the two ran into each other. Salamander saved the Princess from a terrible sorcerer named Bora. She thanked him and in return he took her to where his friends the fairies lived. Soon she became one of the fairies and they ran around helping people and searching for Igneel together."

She smiled wider and soon stopped even pretending to read her book but rather lay back and let her mind conjure the images. Natsu smiled down at her when another idea came into his head. Old Lucy liked to write so maybe if this Lucy wrote all these down she'd remember better.

"Hey Lucy," Her eye peeked open and he continued, "Would you dome a favor and write the stories down? I don't have time since I'm working but I'd like to have a copy of 'em." She sat up and smiled. "Sure….uh?"

"Natsu." He supplied. She blinked and for a moment he thought he saw old Lucy when she repeated his name. But as quickly as it was there it was gone and she ran off to get her pen and paper. She soon returned and he spent the afternoon telling her all about their adventures under the guise of Lu and Salamander. He had just finished the story about the Tower of Heaven when he was called in to make dinner.

"Well, I guess maybe I'll see ya around Luce." Natsu muttered before turning to leave.

"Wait!" She called. He turned and was surprised when she glanced around quickly before pecking him on the cheek. Flames lit his face in a heat that was unfamiliar and she smiled that damn smile at him.

"Thank you Natsu. Maybe we could continue the stories tomorrow?" He dumbly nodded and before he regained his words she ran off towards the house. His hand touched his cheek as he ventured back to the kitchen.

This Lucy was weird. But…he kind of liked it…

. . . . .

They day began sweltering and only heated up from there. Cana had stripped to only her bathing suit, a practice that was common for the girls when they worked alone in this kind of climate; however with Gildarts there Erza felt uncomfortable without her coverings. It was one thing for him to see more when the whole guild was around but when it was just the three of them it made it more…intimate and she was not very good with that.

Their search for the monster was still unsuccessful although they had found a few more clues as to his habits. It appeared that it could fly, breathe fire and based on the track marks it had large talons. If Erza didn't know better she would've assumed it was a fire dragon, but the pattern was different and a dragon would not hide from them. The sun had just hit the peak of the sky when they heard a terrifying shriek.

They shared a glance. "Do you think?" Erza began to ask when they both nodded. Erza exquip to her Lightening empress armor hoping that her increased speed would give her a chance to observe the beast in battle before choosing the appropriate armor. Cana shuffled her deck placing the cards she felt would be most effective near the top and Gildarts threw off his heavy cloak. The three stood ready in the clearing waiting for their attacker, and they didn't have to wait long. A beat of about 20 feet tall and 30 feet wide clambered through the clearing. It looked almost like a large bat, but its teeth hung low and sharp like a sabre. It spread its wings to reveal thick dragon like hide and on both feet and on each wing tip there rested impressive talons.

Erza struck first, flying at its face before slashing the bridge of its nose. The beast screeched and smacked her body away using its head. Large droplets of blood fell and when they hit the ground it began to sizzle.

"Acid blood," Gildarts muttered. Cana pulled out several trapping cards and called out, "You two distract it and I'll bind it!" Gildarts nodded and took off, exploding a nearby tree as he tried to crush it. The beast dodged and flew into the sky only to be bombarded by Erza's Heaven Wheel. It flew about dodging most of them though three landed deep in its hide. Blood spilled down towards Cana who jumped out of the way while sending a card towards its feet. The net lassoed one leg to the other but the beast could still fly. They had to ground it. Erza exquipped into her flame empress armor right as it shot flame towards her. She deflected the flame downwards where Gildarts broke it into many pieces. The forest below caught fire and Erza groaned. They were not supposed to destroy the forest.

Cana ran and jumped into a tree. She climbed it to the top giving her better access to the flying beast. Gildarts threw more break magic at its talons, and bony areas. Erza continued her assault from above until finally Gildarts managed to break its left wing. The creature went sailing down and Cana threw four binding cards completely paralyzing it. Erza jumped from her perch and landed with a thud on the back of the monster before she cleanly cut its head off. Blood spurted everywhere and she rushed back trying to avoid contact when she snagged her foot in its matted fur and went tumbling down 20 feet. She landed on her back, winding her completely and she struggled to get her breath back. Cana ran to her and grabbed her before the fire could spread any further. Together she and Gildarts carried the wounded Erza back to the cave.

Somewhere along the way she had passed out and when they laid her down they saw why. She had a gash about three inches wide on the crest of her head. It was bleeding profusely, though most head wounds do so they weren't too worried about it. Still Cana searched for any healing cards she might have while Gildarts pulled out his first aid kit.

Suddenly the earth moved beneath them and they struggled to keep everything upright. When the quake ceased they were amazed to find a man standing at the entrance of the cave. In the dimming light it was hard to see but based on his height Cana and Gildarts recognized him and the man who had made the request. Makarov Dreyar.

. . . . .

"Uh Grey-sama, how are we supposed to find your parent's house?" Juvia asked as they threaded through the small crowd in the village square. Grey did not falter in his path as he led them through the small mountain town. "I know where it is," Was all he would say. Juvia was confused to say the least. She knew that apparently in this…dream or illusion she and Grey were married and had a daughter named Ura. These were facts that she was ok with. What she was confused about was where they were?

It was obvious Grey recognized the place and it was more obvious still that he was surprised to be here. "Grey-sama," Juvia began but Grey interrupted.

"Please Juvia don't ask me just yet. Let's just…get to my parent's house ok?" She recoiled at the anger in his voice but she knew it was not directed at her. She was beginning to understand where they were. They were in Grey's old village. The one that Deliora had destroyed. Finally they arrived at a small house with a decent yard. There were flowers along the path to the door and in the window they saw a familiar little girl. Ura. She jumped from the window and ran out towards them.

"Mama! Papa!" She shouted. She jumped and latched onto Juvia who held her gingerly as she and Grey looked on in shock. Mika and Silver soon followed Ura into the yard and the two "couples" greeted one another. Silver nudged Grey. "It would seem that you had an interesting night Grey-_sama_." Grey reddened and sighed, but whatever he was going to say died in his throat. His parents were alive and they were standing in front of him. Juvia realized his freeze and she worked to cover it up.

"Juvia is sorry about this morning. We were running a little late." Mika laughed lightly and led them towards the house.

"I remember those days. You're lucky you've got grandparents to take the little one off ya." Juvia merely blushed and laughed along with her. Grey and Silver followed the women to the house. It was surreal for Grey to say the least. He was watching his parents-who were dead talk to his wife-who was Juvia who held their daughter-who did not exist. He decided it was time to settle some questions he had and he knew just how to do it. He'd gotten his competitive spirit from somewhere after all.

"Hey mom, dad," He tried to not let his voice crack when he called them but based on their worried faces he failed. He cleared his thought and smiled forcefully.

"Juvia and were talking and we had a little disagreement about who knew the most about their daughter in law." Both parents looked at Grey with interest, but he could see the flash of recognition in the challenge. Juvia was just confused as she sat down still talking to the very verbal Ura who was detailing her whole day. Mika and Silver sat beside each other on the couch opposite Juvia and Grey took his place beside her.

"Bring it on son!" Silver cried. Mika elbowed him and smiled politely.

Grey grinned at their playful behavior. "Alright. Question one. Where is Juvia from?"

"Oak Town!" Mika cried. Juvia smiled at the game before excusing herself to take Ura to the bathroom. Grey had no idea if any of the answers were right so he took a lack of challenge as confirmation.

"Nice. Alright. How did Juvia and I meet?" This was a big one for him and he was hoping there was a definitive answer that they both knew. There was a pause before Silver cried out, "On a mission! You went to wipe out a dark guild and you had both accepted the request without knowing. You two fought over who got to complete the mission and after she beat you you offered to buy her dinner." Grey laughed. Well that was an odd way to meet but hey it could be worse.

Again no challenge so he moved on, "When is Ura's birthday, date and age."

"She was born May 6 and she will be turning 5 next week." Mika stated proudly. Silver was terrible with dates, just like Grey. Another good thing to know Grey decided.

"Alright, last question. If you get it dad you two tie, if mom gets it she wins. When is Juvia's birthday and how old is she?" Silver groaned aloud at another date question which Mika greedily snatched up.

"October 10 and she is 29 years old!" Mika jumped up and down in celebration. Grey's stomach dropped. 29? That made him about 30. They must look older to everyone else because Juvia definitely hadn't looked thirty this morning when she…he flushed thinking about this morning. Juvia returned then with a very sleepy Ura.

"Juvia hates to do this but Ura is tired. Juvia thinks we should take her home." Mika and Silver laughed and nodded. "Of course. Don't forget on Friday show up around noon to help set up for her birthday party! Oh and Juvia tell your mother she is in charge of drinks." Grey and Juvia nodded uncertainly and took their leave. Grey took Ura from Juvia's arms and Juvia flushed. "Grey-sama she is definitely our child. She can use some water magic." Grey held the little girl closer and absent mindedly grabbed Juvia's hand as they walked back to their home. Juvia almost forgot to be delighted at his touch she was so confused.

What the heck was going on?


	6. Chapter 6

AN: So this was going to include the Strauss/Thunder God update as well but the lemon got out of control so….we are just focusing on GaLe this time! Weee!

Chapter 6

Macao had solved their location issue. After some convincing Bisca agreed to let Fairy Tail relocate to the barn in the hills with one stipulation. They had to build her a nursery for her child who was due in four months. Even now as Macao put the finishing touches on her custom designed crib he knew the deal was more than worth it. With no news of Zeref Mest had gone on a long quest hoping to overhear word on his travels. Everyone else in the guild worked tirelessly to make the old barn into a new guild hall. They knew business would go down, after all no one came to these parts of the woods, but it was better than closing forever.

Bisca sat watching Al doing target practice. She missed everyone dearly and wished they could see her darling family. She knew that wherever they were they were watching over them all and the thought made her feel better. Al finished up and walked back to Bisca with a smile on his face. He hadn't stopped smiling since she'd told him she was having a baby. She took his hand and reached forward to kiss him on the lips. Everything would be ok as long as they had each other.

. . . . .

It was getting difficult. Levy had been spending more and more time with Gajeel and his friends and it was becoming hard for her to not give herself away. When they would joke in Dutch she had to pretend not to understand it. When they asked about her background she had to avoid mentioning where she went to school. The worst of it though was when Gajeel and Loke would talk about her and she had to pretend she was eavesdropping.

"**When are you finally going to ask her out?**" Loke asked him one evening when the three of them were having dinner. Gajeel glared at him.

"**Don't be stupid. She can't even understand me. How could we possibly date?**" She'd wanted so badly to tell him right then but it had been too long. Now it was obvious she had lied to get more information. So she sat in silence as they discussed his desire to be with her and how it could never be because they couldn't communicate.

One day she was leaving her apartment to go grocery shopping when she ran into Gajeel, quite literally. She slammed into his tall figure and she felt his large hands steadying her. Slowly she raised her eyes to his and she could see the desire flicker through them. But he quickly pulled away and smiled at her. She smiled back and contemplated what to do. She wanted him to join her but she didn't know how to not say it in Dutch and still have him understand. She settled for pointing at him, then pointing at herself then miming walking. He looked confused but agreed and followed her out the door. She doubted he knew where they were going but he had obviously understood come with me.

When they reached the grocery store he smirked and rolled his eyes at her. "You want help with heavy things?" He asked stiltedly. She stuck her tongue out and grabbed his hand pulling him along beside her. She was delighted to see a faint blush on his cheeks. The more time she spent with him, learning about him-though technically without his knowledge-the more she realized she wanted to be with him. She wanted what he had to offer now she just had to find a way to let him know that she'd totally lied about it to him.

He helped her do her shopping and when they left the store he grabbed her bags and let her walk burden free back to the complex. He followed her upstairs to her apartment and she quickly opened the door for him. This was a first. He'd never been to her apartment only the other way around. She could see him taking it all in as he strode towards the kitchen. Levy laughed when she saw Lilly sniffing at Gajeel's leg. Her cat was notorious for not liking anyone, and with all the yowling he'd done to Gajeel before even meeting him she was interested to see how this would go down.

To her surprise Gajeel merely bent down and picked him up. And Lily loved it. She stared at him flabbergasted and when he caught her expression he laughed and asked, "What?" She smiled and pointed to Lilly then mimed clawing and hissed. "Most people." She clarified as Lilly nuzzled deeper into his arm. Gajeel laughed and continued to pet Lilly as Levy unloaded her groceries. "Gajeel, do you want dinner?" She called out to him.

"Yes," She jumped when his voice came from right behind her. She dropped the carton of eggs that was in her hand and before she could bemoan her loss Gajeel deftly caught it and returned them to her. She accepted the carton and put them away quickly trying to hide her embarrassment. She turned around to ask him what he liked when she suddenly noticed how close he still was. She gulped and stared up into his deep red eyes. She could smell the metallic musty smell that clung to his clothes. She backed up until her back hit the fridge and she was surprised when he followed her movements, carefully placing a hand on either side of her head before leaning closer. Her breath came faster, spilling against his face as he smirked down at her obviously flustered appearance.

"**I want to kiss you.**" He muttered. She almost responded. Almost replied to just go ahead and do it but she wasn't ready to face that quite yet so she settled instead for playing clueless.

"Gajeel?" He smiled at her breathless voice before he carefully kissed her cheek. She shuddered out the breath she'd been holding in and he laughed. She nearly kicked herself when he pulled away and leaned back against the counter.

"For being cute." He explained to her. She blushed like mad and laughed.

"Um. Thanks. **Dankjewel. **Do you like pasta?" He smiled when he heard her say something in his language and she once again nearly caved but at that moment there was a knock on her door. She squeaked and rushed to door to find none other than Loke. He grinned when he saw her flustered appearance. "I take it Gajeel is here?" She blushed for the millionth time that day and ushered him in. He sauntered in appraising her home pausing when he saw Lilly. Levy was disappointed for the second time today when Lilly once again decided to become best friends with a stranger. What had happened to her fearsome guard cat?

Gajeel rounded the corner and nodded at Loke.

"**What're you doing here?**" He asked casually. Levy could tell he was slightly annoyed at being interrupted. Loke grinned.

"**I was coming by to say hi when I found a package of yours downstairs. It's pretty heavy. You should get it.**" Gajeel looked at Loke before motioning for him to translate as he left the apartment.

"What did he say?" She asked trying to sound confused. Loke chuckled.

"You know what he said Levy, don't play dumb." Her face paled and she stuttered, "Well, you see, umm, w-well I was going to-"

"It's fine Levy. I've known all along. Ever since I first saw him speak in front of you. He doesn't know. But you should definitely tell him." Loke winked at her before setting Lily down and departing with a wave.

"See ya Levy."

Well shit. Levy paced while she waited for Gajeel. She had to tell him. Now. He deserved to know, she just hoped he wouldn't be mad she hadn't said anything before.

Soon she heard the lumbering steps of her crush returning to her apartment. He smiled at her before he shut the door behind him.

"Sorry. Package." She took a deep breath before looking up through her lashes.

"**What did you get?**" He seemed startled by her sudden fluency-as he should be-but after a moment he appeared to have thought Loke taught her that phrase.

"Good accent. Loke?" Levy grimaced. Gajeel noticed and came closer placing his hands on her shoulder. "What?" She sighed.

"**I want to kiss you too.**" He was staring down at her with definite suspicion.

"Levy?" He asked.

"**I speak Dutch Gajeel. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner.**" Before she had even finished the words she found her lips captured by his. To say she was surprised was an understatement but she chose to ignore it and just enjoy the wonderful things he was doing with his mouth. He pressed her back against the wall and sifted his hand through her hair. His other hand grasped her waist and he tilted his head to deepen their kiss. She gasped and wound her arms around his neck give him full access to her body. She groaned when his tongue delved into her mouth and they tangled together desperately trying to get closer. The hand in her hair caressed its way down her side to her waist and he pulled her tight against his body.

Levy could feel the evidence of his arousal pressed against her hip and she felt a thrill run through her. Finally after all this time they were done pretending. She was done pretending to not understand him and he was done pretending he didn't want her. His hands pressed around and back to fill with her backside. He kneaded the supple flesh as she pulled back from his mouth to moan. His lips found their way around to her neck and he growled into her eye as he ground against her. She shuddered and soon she was gripping the edge of his shirt and pulling it upwards and off. He looked surprised as his clothing was taken from him but one look into her eyes convinced him to not say anything. She stared up at him desire heavy in her gaze. Her hands reached out and she grabbed the sides of his face before pulling him down to her level.

"**Take me to bed Gajeel.**" She gasped when he threw her over his shoulder and walked to her bedroom before lightly tossing her on the bed. She reached into her nightstand to grab a condom while he stripped out of his jeans. She felt him tug down her shorts and she lifted to help him. Once she stripped off her shirt and they lay tangled together in only their underwear Levy pushed him back and swung herself astride him.

She looked down into his eyes as she slowly ground herself against his erection. He groaned and tightened his grasp on her hips. She placed her hands low on his abs and then slowly slid her way up his body making sure to bring them flush against one another. She snaked her head around his jaw and began kissing up his neck before she bit down on his earlobe. He cried out in pleasure his hands reaching beneath her panties to grope her ass. She moaned and writhed against him for a moment before she whispered, "**Touch me Gajeel,**" to which he followed her instructions without hesitation.

He slid her panties down to her knees and reached between her legs to pet her wet center. She gasped in pleasure. It had been a long time for her since she'd felt anyone other than herself touching down there. His calloused fingers circled slowly before sliding along the length of slit. She tried to spread her legs wider but was restricted by her underwear. Gajeel flipped her over and dipped his head to where her panties rested. Gripping them with his teeth he pulled down until the dropped to the floor.

Slowly he kissed his way up her legs, pausing at her knees to hook them on his shoulders. She shuddered as he neared his destination, the anticipation killing her.

"Gajeel!" She cried when his mouth circled her clit. She could feel him smile against her lips and she felt his tongue peek out to flick her nub.

"Fuck! Gajeel! **Please I want you!**" He chuckled.

"**Patience,**" he swiped his tongue up once more before he began to slide up further. Levy pushed her hands into his hair and roughly pulled him to her mouth where she devoured his lips. Her hands smoothed across his jaw and down his chest until they reached his underwear which they discarded with zeal. Her feet pulled them down the rest of the way and her legs automatically wrapped around his waist. He groaned into her neck as he slid across her wet lips.

He reached out to where she'd left the condom earlier and tore the foil with his teeth. Levy grabbed the rubber and guided it over his shaft which she stroked a few times after she'd put the condom in place. She noted that he was rather large and she could not wait to feel him moving inside her.

"**Gajeel now,**" she cried as she directed him to her entrance. Once he was in place he grabbed her hands and slammed them above her head before he thrust into her. She cried out at the welcome intrusion, moaning at how his head rubbed against the spongy spot inside her. Gajeel stared down into her eyes as he began to move slowly within her, loving the way her eyes lit up as he filled her over and over again.

"**Levy I want you.**" He groaned as he buried his head into her neck. She gasped as he licked and bit her tender flesh. She knew he was leaving marks and she was thrilled.

"**I'm yours.**" She responded, lifting her hips to meet his.

"**Only mine.**" He responded, his hand seeking out her clit. A strangled cry escaped her as he pounded into her while gently rubbing her nub. She couldn't focus on words so she merely nodded and screamed, "YES!" No longer wanting to hold back Gajeel began thrusting in abandon, sweat dripping down his body from exertion. Levy continued to meet him over and over until she stilled and cried out his name. Gajeel cursed when he felt her milking his cock with her walls and moments later he fell over the edge and jolted inside of her three times.

They both heaved out a breath and Gajeel tenderly removed himself before standing to dispose of the condom. He returned to a nearly sleeping Levy. He climbed in bed beside her and pulled her against his chest. She sighed in contentment and pulled him closer.

"**I love you Gajeel.**" He smirked.

"I love you too, Shrimp." They both froze before they pulled apart and stared into each other's eyes.

"Gajeel?" Levy whispered. His eyes widened, "Shrimp?"

From the other room they heard a voice they instantly recognize, "So you guys finally realized you were dreaming." Pantherlilly smirked from the doorway. Gajeel and Levy glanced at one another once more before it finally sank in.

This was a dream.


End file.
